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Nikon 80-200mm f/4 AI-S Review Round-Up

If you own or have used this lens, let us know what you think! Leave your comments and thoughts below.

Ken Rockwell

This is the best manual focus telephoto zoom for Nikon. Of course if you can find one of the huge (95 mm filter) manual focus 80 – 200mm f/2.8s don’t let me stop you, but for my bag I’d get one of these if I wanted a manual focus tele zoom. “¦ READ FULL REVIEW

This lens is a classic. I have had one (now on my second) for about two years. They have been used on my 10D, 20D and now a 5D Canon. With the full frame view of the 5D, manual focusing is noticeably easier. With the crop format cameras, any manual focus lens is a challenge when shooting spontaneously. (no micro-prism area in the viewfinder, duh) I must say the Ken Rockwell site was an early inspiration for me to get one. When my first was damaged in a bad fall (hit by a car riding my bicycle) there was never any question of an alternate lens to replace it. Yesterday’s shots at the beach, using the 5D for the 1st time, were an eye-opener. Using this lens and a 28-105 AF on my 5D, my ending good shot percentage, comparing the two, was even for the first time. (and a third of the manual focus rejects were because I just wasn’t paying attention) It is a small tad sharper than my 28-105, which I have had since the film days of 1999, and has also received little use with the crop format cameras. I now wish that I still had my Series ! Vivitar 35-85mm. It and the Nikkor 80-200mm would make an awesome combination.

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